Grossest. Smelliest. Weirdest. Nosiest… FUN!

When I tell guests to excuse the mess because I’ve got two boys, ages (almost) 8 and 10, I’ll usually receive a knowing look. “Oh yeah,” they’ll say. “Boys are fun at that age.”

Of course, we both know what “fun” really means… it means gross, smelly, weird and noisy. Everything I both love and cringe over as a mom of boys. Normally, I’m an expert at finding ways to contain their energy, but with a whole week of March Break ahead of us, I decided if I can’t beat ‘em… yup, I’ll join ‘em!Introducing Guinness World Records: Science & Stuff – a super fun and highly interactive book featuring the astounding, record-breaking world (and universe) around us, with an intro from TV science educator and author Science Bob. It’s written especially for curious little minds and is packed with gross facts, smelly anecdotes, weird trivia bites and noisy activities for the whole family to try. Translation: it’s right up my boys’ alley!

Here’s a small sample of the super important questions it tackles:

– Can you belch in space?
– What does woolly mammoth taste like?
– How much would the Death Star cost?

Hands up if you think your kids would LOVE this book? Trust me, it is the boredom buster you’re looking for, especially during March Break. And what I love most about Guinness World Records: Science & Stuff is that kids can randomly pick a page and read; there isn’t a strict format to the book so it’s perfect for a variety of ages (and attention spans).

Especially addictive is a chapter called “Make & Break”, which features 10 experiments that can be used for official Guinness World Records title attempts at home!

Tip #1: wear goggles.We decided to try our hand at attempting a Guinness World Records title for propulsion of a Mentos and soda rocket car. (I know, right? What could possibly go wrong with that?) But first, encouraged by all the science-y facts in the book, we conducted a short demo to understand the why before we could figure out the how.

Why do Mentos and diet soda react? The answer is fairly straightforward: the eruption is caused by a physical reaction, as the addition of Mentos to a bottle of diet soda leads to the rapid nucleation of carbon dioxide gas bubbles, causing the contents to shoot out, overflow or otherwise, er, KABOOM!

Tip #2: don’t try this indoors.Okay, so we achieved a positive (or negative) reaction and were set to move forward with our experiment. The thing I love about the Make & Break chapter is that it gets the whole family involved, making it the perfect bonding activity, especially at an age where electronics reign supreme.

Fair warning: quite a bit of effort is involved, and almost all the activities require some form of parental intervention. But hey, no one said breaking a Guinness World Records title was easy, and making the attempt again and again is half the fun!We’re currently still in the process of perfecting our soda rocket (er, I may have to take responsibility for overzealous use of glue gun. I know, I know, I had ONE job!). But I’m not even bothered by that, because the giggles, curious questions, family time – and more giggles – have made it all worth it so far.

We love Guinness World Records: Science & Stuff and I know you will too! Whether you grab it for March Break, weekend fun or the upcoming summer season, it’s a must have for your budding scientists. Just remember that setting or breaking a Guinness World Records title is never easy, so be prepared for things to not always work. If at first you don’t succeed, look for some inspiration and try again! Good luck friends, and get ready to get messy!

Tip #3: don’t ever let minty soda go to waste.Keep up to date with the latest Make & Break Guinness World Records title attempts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! And please do let me know if you make an attempt – I’d love to cheer you on!

WIN IT! I’ve got 10 copies of Guinness World Records: Science & Stuff to give away to some very lucky readers! To enter, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries.

Hi Lena,I just wanted to say thanks for the amazing giveaway I was so happy to be chosen as a winner and so are my grandkids . I know why you young boy had the safety glasses and rain gear we are having so much fun with the book.Have a safe summer!